Dam structure



Oct. 3, 1933. P. E. HUNTER ET AL 1,923,692

DAM STRUCTURE Filed April 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 3, 1933. P. E. HUNTER El AL DAM STRUCTURE Filed April 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIO compartment of the barge, it being supported therein by the castings 19. A drain pipe 27 leads from the chamber 26 to the exterior of the barge, and'is controlled by a valve 28 that may be operated through a shaft 29 from the deck of the barge. An air pipe 30 communicates with the top of the chamber 26, and air under pressure may be supplied therethrough from a compressor 31 to expel water fromthe chamber 26, as hereinafter explained." A pipe 32 extends from the bottom of the barge to a suction pump 33, whereby water contained within the rear compartment of the vessel may be drawn therefrom. A

suction pipe 34 extends to the bottom of the front compartment, so that water may be withdrawn from there also by the suction pump 33.

A deck house 35 is mounted on the barge, for enclosing the power mechanism. The motive power may be in the form of an internal'combustion engine, steam engine, or the like. A drive shaft 36 (Fig. 5 operates through bevel gear wheels 37, and drives a vertical shaft 38 that has driving connection with a shaft 39 thatin turn drives a shaft 40 that extends longitudinally of the bargeand carries at its ends propellers 41,

' whereby .thebarge may be moved endwise under its own power.

A pair of drive shafts 42 each operates through associated shafts 43 andf l l' to drive a propeller 45 at the rear side of the boat, one of these propellers 45 being located near each end of the barge.

In positioning the barge or propelling the same, either or both of the propellers 45 may be driven, and they'maybe driven in opposite directions, if desired. The propellers 41 may be driven in either direction, but no provision need be made for simultaneously driving them in opposite directions.

Thegreater depth at the rear of the barge gives it greater buoyancy at that side, tending to raise that portion of it out of the water, and to clip its noseportion into the water. The concrete slab 21 counteracts thistendency,and the barge is so designed-thatwith the chamber 22 filled with water, the barge will fioatin substantially the position shown in Fig. 2. Upon opening the valve 24, water, will flow from the chamber 22 to the rear compartment, of thebarge, thereby causing the barge to move toward its full-line position in Fig. 4. The valve 28 can also be opened to admit water from outside of the barge into the chamber 26. As the'rear side of the barge continues to sink,water can flow over the upper edge thereof into the rear .compartment, and the barge will continue to sink until it engages the bed of the stream and its bottom lies against the inclined walls of two adjacent piers, as shown by dotted lines in'Fig. 2. Q

It will be understood that the shifting of weight within the barge preliminary to sinking the same, by opening the valve 24, permits the nose 13 of the buffer member to be brought to such height that it will properly engage the notches in the piers 10.

With the barge sunk to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, flow between the piers 10 is prevented and a pool level maintained or established.

When it is desired to raise the barge and remove the same from the piers, air pressure is supplied through the pipe 30, to force the water out of the chamber 26, so that such chamber will function as a pontoon to raise the barge. Simultaneously with this operation, water may be pumped through the pipe 34 from the front compartment, and through the pipe 32 from the rear compartment, as soon as the upper edge of the barge moves above the surface of the pool.

When the water has been expelled from the ch'amber26, the valve 28 will, of course, be closed, through manipulation of theshaft 29.

The powerelements within the deck house 35 are located at such height that they will always be above the stream level even when the barge is sunk at its rear side. Should there be a tendency for the front side of the barge to sink, when the chamber 22 contains water, such portion of the barge can be given greater buoyancy by supplying air under pressure to the chamber 21 through a pipe 47 to displace the water within said chamber.

Rapid positioning of the barge may be effected its by shifting the center of gravity as it approaches a tween two pier-like members having their upstream sides inclined upwardly and forwardly from the bed of a stream, which comprises floating a barge-like device into position against the upper sides of said members and sinking the same by tilting movement to cause it to lie against the said inclined sides and prevent flow of water between the piers. Y

2. The method of controlling water through a channel which comprises floating a dam-like element'toward a stop member, varying the buoyancy of the front side of said device, to engage the stop member at desired heights, and sinking the rear side of said device while the front side thereof is supported by said stop.

PERCY E. HUNTER. 'LOUIS, ENDSLEY.

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